Finally we know
by camel-3-0-0-9
Summary: Fuji loved Tezuka. Tezuka didn't know his own feelings and there's Atobe, who already came and fought with all of his forces to gain what, or more directly, whom he wanted. bad summary. Perfect pair, Tofu pair. Tezuka/Fuji, Atobe/Fuji.
1. Chapter 1

Heh another story :))

Tell me what it's like

A/N: Pot's not mine.

bad grammars and a lot of errors

feel free to leave comments, I'll be waiting for it! :D

* * *

**Finally, we know**

**1**

Tennis stadium was surrounded by the loud cheers as the spectators altogether witnessed the fierce match in front of their very own eyes. Who would have thought that the middle schoolers nowadays could hold such a power and could be so talented. Their eyes followed unblinkingly as the two skillful players, one's in blue uniform and another was in yellow's and wearing a cap, were rallying with dead and determined look set on both of their mutual faces. It was only the first match of the finals that took their breath away. They couldn't imagine what would be up next, seeing the monsters disguised in the form of tennis players like that.

People all around the court gaped when the boy with spectacles suddenly fell on his knees, he clutched his left arm tightly as if he was in pain. The pure white racket was abandoned by his side as the yellow ball rolling near his feet, announcing silently that the brutal match has reached its end.

And the cheers began once more.

"It was a good match." Amongst those loud cheers that nearly caused his ears deaf, a casual tone mixed with exhaustion from a long match caught his attention. He looked up and forced himself to get on his feet.

Unsteady, he grasped his hand with Sanada's. The boy was covered with sweat and his knees were red from using those special moves against him. Tezuka gave the other boy a curt nod.

"Ahh." He replied shortly. "It was."

"And that was only making us draw 1-1." Sanada added seriously. His eyes not left Tezuka. "Let's settle this down next time."

"Ahh."

Sanada gave him one last nod and went back to his team where Yukimura and the others from Rikkaidai waiting for celebrating their first win. Tezuka knelt down to pick up his racket that his legs started wobbling. He gritted his teeth. The match devoured so much of his energy that he could only walk slowly to where his teammates were. Afraid that if he paced too fast, his body would fell down right then and there.

And he wouldn't let that happen. Not in front of his friends and his kouhais.

Tezuka was surprised when he felt something warm wrapped around his back and someone's hand supported his weight by placing it softly on his shoulder.

Fuji gently put Tezuka's left arm on his shoulder as he started to walk slowly toward their way.

"Don't say anything." Fuji warned. His eyes was still closed but for one, Tezuka could sense the cold glare pierce pointedly at him. And so, he kept his mouth shut, not that he wanted to say anything in the first place though.

Sitting on a bench with little difficulty, Ryuzaki touched the boy's left arm, carefully rubbing the red spot. She sighed.

"You didn't learn at all, did you?" She got up from her feet and crossed her arm around her chest. "What if you can't play again? Your left arm has just been healed and you went on forcing to its limit like that." She shook her head in disbelief. "The match with Atobe that time didn't teach you at all?"

Silence answered her question, she looked down to see the determined look shown quietly on those amber eyes yet, she sighed again.

_What an obstinate boy. _She mused irretatedly. Turning her head to the smaller boy who had been silent all the time standing next to the bench, she called out,

"Fuji" the said boy shot his head up. "Take him to the infirmary and make sure to come back before your match."

"Hai."

* * *

"Oishi will take care of the rest so don't worry about trivial things." Fuji said as he assisted the other boy to sit on the bed. Looking around, he frowned slightly. _Where is a doctor when you need him? _

"I don't."

"Good then." Fuji sat on the nearby stool as he held out a pack of ice he had found in the cabinet. He pressed it softly against the red mark that expanded ungratefully over the captain's arm. "Is it too cold?"

"No."

"Is it hurt?"

"A little."

"I see."

"Fuji." The boy looked up, his hand was still pressing the pack of ice firmly and carefully.

"If you have something to tell me, tell me."

"I don't." The genius replied quietly. He pulled the cold object out and dried the injured arm with clean towel. His eyes missed the stern look Tezuka shot him.

"You did it for the team, I understand that perfectly." Fuji said, still not looking up. " As a captain, you have to lead the team to victory and be a model of the man they would look up to." He rolled out the bandage and wrapped it neatly around the red arm. "I won't blame you for overdoing your arm. But..." He trailed off.

Tezuka looked at the mobs of light brown hair as he felt the other's voice shaking a little.

"Can't you just confide in us a bit more?"

The captain of Seigaku tennis club was taken aback when those ocean-like blue orbs fluttered open, staring at him intensely.

"I know that we are still far away from your level but we aren't that weak either." His voice raised up.

"I know."

"So, why?" Fuji sat upright in his seat, his brows were knitted. "Why did you go all out like that? You do know that your arm isn't completely healed right?"

"Because it was Sanada."

Now Fuji found himself being taken aback this time. His blue eyes rested on the dark brown ones, waiting for more details.

Tezuka sighed. He retreated his arm back and moved it carefully. Finding that the pain from before was almost gone, he noted the tensai was also good at nursing too.

"It was Sanada. I can't halfheartedly play him." He looked into those fascinating blue eyes. "Otherwise It would be rude to him, to both of us."

"To the point you would have sacrificed your arm?" Fuji snorted. "It doesn't make any sense."

"It does." Tezuka retorted with steady, low voice. "If I have to play someone who is also serious in having a match against me, I would fight him with all my might even that will harm my arm again."

Fuji halted in his position as he caught a meaningful look sent toward him. In an instance, the picture of them while they were still in the first year of junior high school having a secret match underneath sakura tree reflected in his mind. Little dark brown haired boy who despite being so strict to himself and always isolating from other people around him, was the boy with gentle and kind at heart that he agreed to have a secret match with him in spite of his injured arm from the previous encounter with the seniors.

He was mad, to the point that his smile was cracked and was replaced with anger he barely showed when it came to his family or to Saeki, the childhood friend of his, he took the other boy by collar, shouting at the top of his lungs with the same question he has just asked Tezuka earlier. The answer he got at that time was similar to this though.

And he understood it clearly.

Fuji's shoulder slummed down in defeat. He rubbed his face and sighed. The intense air that had been clinging on them was all but gone when the usual smile took the place on Fuji's lips again.

Tezuka let out a small sigh in relief.

"Just promise me that you won't do anything recklessly like this again." Fuji said. "Oishi was crying like a baby when he saw you use that Tezuka Phantom of yours."

Tezuka nodded, smiling a little. "I promise."

"Good." The blue eyes boy smiled. Feeling something moving faintly in his pocket, Fuji fished his vibrating phone out of his pocket. Flipping it open with ease, he frowned slightly when his eyes skimmed through its contents.

"It seems Echizen finally come back." He looked at Tezuka uncertainly. "But Eiji said Echizen is acting strange from usual."

"What does it mean?"

"I don't know. We will find it out when we get back to the others." The prodigy stared at the clock calculatingly and diverted his gazed back to the captain on the bed.

"You think you can go back by your own? I have to go warm up now. It looks like The situation on the court doesn't look so good on our side."

"Fuji." Tezuka called out when the said boy was on the way out of the room. The petite boy looked over his shoulder to see Tezuka still sitting on the edge of the bed stared at him with hard yet gentle look on his eyes. He smiled.

"Do your best."

And Fuji smiled back.

"Ahh, I will."


	2. Chapter 2

Hehe here ch 2 right below!

And ToFu pair is Atobe and Fuji pairXD

Enjoy!

* * *

**Finally, we know**

**2 **

"It seems your arm is fine, Tezuka-kun." The doctor said after looking at his computer portraying the result of the ex-ray. He took off his glasses and smiled at his young patient. "But you shouldn't carry something heavy or play tennis for a while, and keep changing bandage 2 times a day."

Tezuka nodded in apprehension and bowed to the doctor. He was about to open the door when the voice calling him.

The doctor smiled. "I saw your team playing in finals including you, Tezuka-kun." He then stood up from his seat and patted the boy's shoulder gently. "You did well, your teammates too. Congratulations for your win."

"Thank you."

With one last nod and one waving hand from the doctor, Tezuka left the room. He looked down at his wristwatch and frowned slightly. The party at Kawamura's house would be starting in an hour and he would be late if he wouldn't hurry. Hence, the bespectacled boy quickened his paces to the point that he didn't notice the figure standing by the door of the hospital at all.

Hearing his name being called the second time of the day, Tezuka halted in his track. His face was covered with surprise and puzzlement when he saw the prodigy of the team walking casually toward him.

"What are you doing here?"

Fuji smiled with his eyes closed, his hands behind his back.

"I saw you walked in the hospital while I was on my way to Taka-san'a house, so I decided to wait for you."

Tezuka raised a brow. "Why didn't you wait inside? It's cold out here."

"I actually like cold breeze you know?" He smiled. "Besides, I was thinking of something."

The captain surveyed the other boy's face. "What is it?"

"Isn't it look like déjà vu to you?" Fuji asked cheerfully. He started walking again, as did Tezuka. "Hospital, winter time, you, me?" He then sighed halfheartedly. "There's no snow this time though."

"Ahh." The captain replied as he looked around his surrounding and the cold yet soothing wind suddenly blew past them. It was the same scene that had occurred in their second year when he went to the hospital for checkup his injured arm and Fuji was waiting for him outside the Hospital and they walked home together with the falling snow silently accompanied them along their way.

"It feels nostalgic, ne?" Fuji chuckled lightheartedly. "Who would have thought that time can fly this fast. It feels like we just entered junior high yesterday, playing around and being crazy as much as we want like that."

Tezuka didn't answer but Fuji paid no heed at that. He knew the boy beside him better that even he didn't give any comment, Tezuka was listening.

It never failed him to make him mesmerize by how well he could know the taller boy this much. Since their first year in junior high, he knew it from the first glance that Tezuka was not a man of word. According to Inui's data, the captain always spoke less than 10 words whenever he opened his mouth and despite his god-like tennis skill he possessed, Tezuka was so bad at socialize with people around him.

And Fuji syusuke, the boy whose smile never left his face no matter what happened, was the one who dared to approach Tezuka first. He didn't know when they became close to each other to the point that words were no need in their silent conversation. Fuji just looked into the other boy's eyes while Tezuka merely stared back at him. Kikumaru once said that maybe he and Tezuka had ESP and could read the other's mind like ET could understand what the other was thinking by touching their fingers together.

He chuckled at that thought. It might be true though, judging by the way they could communicate by just a look, Tezuka might be coming from the other faraway planet and decided to live here that made they find each other...

His train of thought was cut off when he felt something landed softly at the tip of his nose. Blinking, Fuji extended his hand and looked up at the gray sky above him. The soft, cold snow flakes were falling and melting away as soon as they kissed the ground.

"Tezuka."

"Hmn?"

"Snow." He smiled brightly at the captain, noticed something white clung on the other boy's head, he tiptoed and carefully reached Tezuka's hair brushing the snow off gently. "It's snowing."

Tezuka also looked up at the sky, didn't mind the soft touch from the smaller boy, he murmured, "Ahh, it seems so."

"Now, it's exactly like that time." He beamed. "And I have an umbrella with me too."

Tezuka quietly eyed the lithe boy opening the black umbrella and was about to hold it between them that he decided to steal it from the blue eyed boy and placed it between them instead.

Fuji looked bemused but smiled when he found that the other boy started walking again.

Hence, he quickened his paces to catch on Tezuka and they continued their walk, with the umbrella protecting them from the falling snow.

It was exactly like that time, save for the umbrella holder was switched place.

And Fuji realized something.

Surely, words were no need after all.

* * *

Kikumaru was bouncing around their tables, snatching the other's sushi and happily popped them one by one into his mouth, ignoring a loud protest from his juniors and feigned deaf when Oishi tried to scold him but failed desperately.

"They are too lively, aren't they?" Ryuzaki Sumire, the coach of the team, commented as she sipped her tea at the counter, looking at her pupils with her head shaking wearily.

The older Kawamura laughed loudly, his hands on his hip. "That's what the teenagers should be!"

"Thank you for having us again, Kawamura-san." Tezuka said from the table. His head bowed a little.

The chef waved his hand. "No need, no need! Eat as much as you guys want! It's full house today!"

"Lucky!" Momoshiro cried. "You're the best, Kawamura-san!"

"You should have some respect toward someone older than you, baka."

"Huh, what did you say, you mamushi!"

Kaidoh grabbed the spiky haired boy by his collar. "What? I stated the truth. Your brain is just too small to comprehend it!"

"And yours is bigger than mine? Don't make me laugh!"

"Cut it you too!" Oishi yelled from the other table making them back to what they were doing earlier but not fail to glare darkly at each other.

Echizen gulped his food down his throat. "Mada mada dane, senpai-tachi."

Seeing Kawamura was back from toilet, Ryuzaki coughed slightly bringing her students' attentions landed on her. She smiled at them.

"You all did great in the Nationals and could even win against those monsters from Rikkai, as your coach, I don't have any word to say but thank for your hardiness and your endurance during practices. You all work hard and deserve the title as a champion." She raised her cup of tea above her head, smiled from ear to ear. "Congratulations!"

"Yeah!" They simultaneously shouted in pure happiness, gulping down their drinks enthusiastically and almost at the same time, they froze.

Fuji looked puzzled as he placed his tea back on the table. His eyes locked on Kaidoh whose body shaking dangerously and in an instant, fell face first on the ground.

"Inui." Tezuka coldly glared at the data player who jotting down his green notebook, glassed flashed. "What did you do to him."

"Hmmm?" The said boy grinned. He fished thermos from his bag and placed it proudly on the table.

"It is the latest version of Inui's juice; the celebrating juice."

"We can't celebrate with that potion!" Kikumaru protested out loud. His eyes started to roll upward.

"Don't die yet, Eiji!" Oishi extented his hand to his wobbling partner. His eyes were full of tears.

"Tell my family that I love them nya, Oishi.."

"Eiji!"

Fuji smiled in amusement, seeing his friends struggling hard and rolling on the floor, he chuckled. "My, it seems your concoction has been upgraded ne, Inui."

"Of course, I has been developing it since we won in the tournament. That why it's called the celebrating juice."

"Shut it!" The others yelled at the top of his lungs before they passed out.

Tezuka sweatdropped. He made a mental thought that he would never, ever, let Inui touch their drinks again.

* * *

After the disaster at Kawamura's house, Tezuka and Fuji were being seen walking together and ended up in the park nearby.

The party was dismissed earlier than they had thought: because of that toxicant creation of no one but the data player, thus, they decided to spend some time wandering around before going home. The others were made their minds on doing something else. So that left only the two of them being alone together.

Fuji sat on a swing. Swaying, he let out a small contented sigh.

"Ahh, I'm full."

"You should." Tezuka leaned against the wall, listened to a bird chirping melodically. "You was eating a lot."

"Why? The food's way too delicious that I can't stop eating."

"It will have you diarrhea if you continue eating that kind of food."

Fuji frowned, not like how Tezuka called one of his favorite food like that. "Wasabi sushi is not that kind of food. It's healthy."

Tezuka sighed in defeat. He gave up on telling this kind of stuff to the prodigy long time ago. He closed his eyes. "Do what you want then."

"I always do that." Fuji beamed, enjoying the evening view that engulfed them.

They stayed in comfortable silence for awhile before Fuji broke it with his gentle voice.

"By the way Tezuka," The said boy hummed, his eyes still closed. "Have you decided what high school you will enter yet?"

Fuji blinked when he saw the other boy stiffened. He carefully surveyed the expression on Tezuka's face but found none.

Illusion might be?

"I was thinking about going to the same school with you if you don't mind." Fuji wiggled his feet, deep in thought. "I asked the others about this too. It looks like they are going in separate way; Taka-san and Eiji, they both continue their school life in Seishun while Oishi will be handing his entrance letter to the medical school. And since Inui still wants to reunion with his childhood friend, it is possible that he will go to Rikkai." He paused and smiled casually. "As for me, I haven't decided it yet, so I ask you first. It would be great to be in the same school with someone I know. So?"

"I won't."

Fuji's smile froze. Was his ear deceiving him?

"Excuse me?"

"I won't." He repeated. His amber orbs glued on the ground.

"...what do you mean by that?"

"Fuji." The smaller boy startled when the other boy called out his name. Tezuka's eyes were set on the blue ones, intense yet hesitant look was sent to him.

No words came out but somehow, with their gaze connected and the tranquil atmosphere, Fuji could sense the unspoken words silently reached his ears through the cold breeze swirling past them.

And he didn't like it at all.

Fuji smiled patiently at the stoic boy. His grip on the swing tightened. His now opened blue eyes stared at Tezuka, waiting for more explanations.

Tezuka, too, fathomed those glances from his friend. He weighed his words for the right one before answering that unsaid question.

Tezuka shifted his feet uncertainly. It's so out of his character to act as if he was a child confessing to his mother that he had broken her favorite vase into pieces. But he cared nothing. It was Fuji he was confronting after all.

"I plan to go to Germany."

The intense silence came first and stayed like years for Tezuka. He didn't know he had held his breath until the boy in front of him spoke up.

"I see." Was a soft reply from the tensai. His face was half-covered by his bangs and his smile faltered, still he was smiling.

"When do you plan to tell us?"

"At today's party." He stated the truth. He was planning on telling them today but was hindered by that prank of Inui's.

Fuji nodded. "Have you told someone about this yet?"

Tezuka looked at the smiled Fuji managed to show him. His eyes narrowed. "My family and Ryuzaki-sensei."

"I see."

And silence won over them once more.

For someone like Tezuka who always hid all of his emotions under his stoic façade perfectly and knew how to deal with either tough or severe situation was now at a loss. For the first time in his life, Tezuka didn't know what to do. Inside of him was full of panic and various feelings twirled like a storm. And the silence didn't help him either.

It took some times before Tezuka could finally find his voice. He looked at Fuji's unseen face warily.

"Fuji..."

"It's good to hear then." Tezuka was taken aback when the smaller boy put on the usual smile and his eyes were closed. "It's kind of sad we can't go to the same school but I'm even gladder to hear that you decide to go there and pursue your dream." His smile brightened.

"Fuji..."

"Well, it's already late now, isn't it?" Fuji stood up from the swing as he brushed off the dust. "I think we should go then, our families will be panic unless they see us at home, ne?"

"Fuji..."

"I wondered there's still a train though, maybe I should call nee-san to pick us up?"

"Fuji!"

"What?" Fuji turned to the caller and smiled casually at him. "Do you want something?"

"No." Tezuka gritted his teeth. "I have told you already, if you have something, say it to me."

"But I don't" Fuji smiled innocently at him and started walking toward the exit.

He couldn't do that though, as Tezuka was way faster. He stopped the other boy by grabbing his small wrist. His eyes narrowed when he felt how skinny Fuji's wrist was.

Fuji, with his back on Tezuka, stopped dead in his track. His voice was still as bright as the sun radiating its warmth.

But Tezuka knew better, Fuji was angry.

The bespectacled boy stared hard at the lean back before him. His voice cold.

"You do." Tezuka tightened his grip around Fuji's wrist making the other boy wince a little. "Tell me. Now."

"I said I don't." Fuji stubbornly said. He tried to pulled his hand away but to no avail. "Tezuka let go of my wrist. It's hurt."

"Not until you answer my question."

"I already said that I don't."

"And I said you do." Tezuka's eyes narrowed. His patience almost reached its limit. "Tell me or else..."

"What will you do then?"

"Fuji..."

The boy before him was now shaking with the emotions inside him started to flow out; like water breaking its dam, his sudden turn and opened blue eyes piercing through Tezuka was enough to make him surprise.

"What if I really have something then, what will you do?"

Tezuka raised his brow upward. Conveyed the other boy's face, he stayed silent for a second and replied honestly,

"You just say it to me."

"But, I can't."

"Fuji." The taller boy lowered his voice in a warning tone he always used whenever someone or something stepped across his line. "Stop beating around the bush and tell me."

"Fine." Fuji sighed as he took a step toward Tezuka. "Don't blame me after this though."

"Wha..." He couldn't finish his sentence as the prodigy suddenly yanked him down and before Tezuka could even register, a pair of soft lips was pressed against his.

Tezuka's eyes went round as he froze at his place. A soft touch brushed past his lips, sweet yet spice from wasabi the other boy had eaten was all he could sense.

It was like time had stopped and they were the only ones in that place. Tezuka felt his heart just stopped beating as their lips connected.

And when he felt his bag he had held on his shoulder dropped onto the ground sending a soft 'thud' to him that he finally regained his sense back and the time started its pace again.

Fuji hesitantly pulled himself off. He released his hold on the taller boy's collar and stared meaningfully at Tezuka's shocked amber.

The bespectacled teen's lips parted and the expression on that once emotionless face was so hilarious for the smaller boy to feel the urge to snap some pictures from his friend. It took time before Fuji decided to break that uncomfortable atmosphere.

"...I told you to not blame me after this, ain't I?" He rubbed the back of his neck, sighing when there's no response from the other boy.

_It seems he was still in shock... _Fuji mockingly laughed at himself_. Well who wouldn't, when his friend suddenly kissed him on the lips like that._

"...I will take my leave now." He said softly as he patted Tezuka on the shoulder making the other boy flinched a bit. Fuji let out a small, tired chuckle, retreating his hand back by his side. He stared at the other boy's face one last time, before turning his back on Tezuka and left the park with no look back.

The orange sky has turned into a dark night and the sound of birds singing was replaced with the silent wind blew slowly past his face.

Tezuka blinked and slowly, reached his finger to touch his lips.

The wind was blowing once again, Tezuka straightened himself and grabbed the falling bag and placed it on his shoulder. He went off in silence with the soft touch from those lips still lingered on his, unnoticed the sudden change of the weather as he got into the train.

And snow began to fall.

* * *

_TBC._


	3. Chapter 3

Here. Finally...

It's shorter than I thought but anyway,

Hope you enjoy and review..?

Chapter 3 is right below! :)))))

* * *

**Finally we know**

**3**

It was clear blue sky. He thought as he fed his koi, listening to the sound of water waving whenever the colorful fish came to the surface of the pond and gulped down the food. He let his mind wander to the scene happened weeks ago.

It had been 2 weeks since he last saw Fuji. Seemingly, after what had happened in the park that day, the lithe boy was nowhere to be seen; not even at school or at the practice. Tezuka squinted his eyes; it was like Fuji was avoiding him and just disappeared into the air.

_But human can't just disappear like that._ He mused inwardly. Fuji was somewhere, he knew it. Nobody could run away forever; as for why Fuji had to run away, he was not sure either. Somehow, he felt it had something to do with that _kiss._

His thought suddenly became white as the picture of Fuji kissing him came to his mind. The soft lips and that gentle touch. It only made his heart pounding hard against his chest; like a mad house stomping its horseshoes against the solid ground. He wondered what he felt at that time. It buffered him first and hit him in the head with confusion, but not anger. He was never angry to his petite friend, it was impossible to do that to Fuji of all people. Yet again, why wasn't he angry? His brow creased, wasn't he stolen the kiss? And by his friend, his _male_ friend.

But still, he didn't feel any anger at all.

Shaking his head, he stood up, raising his arm to shield himself from the sunlight and walked absentmindedly to the opened veranda and sat on the empty cushion. He let himself feel the fresh air around him, his eyes closed.

Someone's footsteps could be heard. Tezuka looked up and saw his mother with the basket of wet cloths in her arms smiled sweetly at him.

"Finish feeding?" Ayana asked and put the basket down as she sat beside her son.

"Hai."

"The weather is so nice." She let out a satisfied sigh. "Who would think that it was snowing a week ago?"

"Ahh."

Ayana eyed her son searchingly. She went, "is something bothering you?"

Tezuka looked back at his mother, frowning. "What make you think like that?"

She shook her head and smiled tenderly at her lone son. "Woman intuition maybe?" The soft chuckle left her mouth. "So, something really did happen to you."

Tezuka stayed silent for second before giving in. "Ahh. It seems so."

"Is it about Fuji-kun?"

The boy's body stiffened as the name of his smiling friend came out of his mother's lips. He narrowed his eyes. "...Why Fuji?"

Ayana blinked. "Oh, it's not? I think you are worried about Fuji-kun, since he has been sick for weeks now." She took in her son's expression. "I thought that's why you are spacing out a lot lately."

"Fuji's sick?"

"You didn't know?" She looked at her son in surprise. "Didn't your friends tell you about this."

Tezuka went silent. He thought of Kikumaru yelling something incoherently the other day and Oishi with worry face coming to him and telling something he couldn't follow. Maybe his mother was right, he's been spacing out a lot since that day in the park.

"...they did." He admitted. "But I didn't listen to them."

Ayana gave a long look to her child and then she stood up. "You should pay Fuji-kun a visit, eh?"

"?"

"I don't know whether you have something with Fuji-kun or not that makes you be like this, but..." She stood up and picked her basket. Smiling, she went on, "he's your friend, doesn't he? He would be glad if he sees you, Kunimitsu."

Tezuka was half standing and half sitting as his mother disappeared around the corner, leaving him with her last final words. He blinked, moments later he stood up and went straight to his room.

Ayana smiled satisfactorily as her eyes caught sight of her son darted out of the house. Kuniharu yawned. He blinked when he saw the younger Tezuka walking past him rapidly.

"Where is he going?" The man asked his wife. He blinked again when he saw a bright smile drawing on her face.

"To his friend." She sang as she went back to dry her clothes, "by the way, have you seen my favorite hair-tie? I think I left it somewhere..."

"...It's on your hair."

"Oh...right."

* * *

Fuji Yumiko eyed her younger brother as he sipping the soup their mother had cooked it before she left to work for her un-well son. She handed a capsule followed by a glass of water to Fuji after seeing the boy just has finished his meal.

It's unnatural to see the smiling boy of her family who was always keeping an eye on his health to be lying on a bed like this and not only one or two days but weeks now. She narrowed her eyes, _something must happen to Syusuke._

Fuji placed a glass on the nightstand. He smiled genuinely at his sister. "Thank you, nee-san. I think I feel better now."

"You should." Yumiko said playfully. "It's mother's secret soup. There's no way you won't feel better by that."

He nodded. "I know."

"But it isn't like you at all to be so reckless and let yourself catch a flu." She looked at her brother worriedly. "Did something happen?"

Fuji shook his head. "No. I just let myself off guard and was caught in the snow longer than I thought."

Yumiko probed, "Is it because of Tezuka-kun?"

She nodded to herself inwardly when she saw the expression on her younger brother went stiff, but it didn't stay long as Fuji swiftly went back to his usual smile.

"Why? What make you think it was Tezuka?" He asked casually.

She shrugged. "Woman intuition I guess." She raised her brow up and looked at the door when she heard the doorbell rang. Yumiko stood up and took a glass and a bowl on a tray before opened the door with one hand. She then looked back at her younger brother in the bed.

"It might be Yuuta." She said, smiling. "He said he would come home today, but I didn't think he will come this early, though."

"It's ok since it's Yuuta." Fuji smiled brightly at the thought of his younger brother.

"Hai, hai." Yumiko closed the door but then, she frowned slightly. "But Yuuta got a key." She shrugged and moved to open the door when another ring reached her ears. "Maybe Yuuta forgot to bring it with him..."

Upstair, Fuji was left alone in his room and was deeply in thought. He looked out of the window though the swaying light blue curtain to see how bright the sky was and had to laugh at himself.

Too bright... He bitterly thought. Too bright that he couldn't even reach his hand to touch it.

His mind suddenly brought a picture of someone wearing glasses to his head. The young boy who always took everything seriously, the boy who always cared for everyone underneath that stoic façade, the boy who was always trusted by his friends, the boy who was their captain.

The image of Tezuka made his heart throbbing hard against his ribcage. The boy who was so perfect and fascinating like the sun shining its brightness was someone Fuji didn't even dare to think of.

_Tezuka was so bright, just like the sun..._

And what made him so eager to do that to him in the first place, he didn't know-not one bit he wanted to know.

He blamed all of his actions on his unsteady emotions at that time. He was so utterly shock when the other boy suddenly said that he would continue his path in Germany; not even in Japan that if they didn't enter the same school, they could still see each other after school or hang out on weekends.

But Germany... Fuji's heart stopped beating. It was just too far away.

The mere thought of Tezuka leaving him was more than enough to push him do something as crazy as pulling the other boy down to a kiss.

And Fuji didn't sorry to do that at all, not when the taller boy would go to somewhere half world far away from him.

He trailed his finger along the window sill as the expression on Tezuka's drawing in his head. Tezuka was shocked. He could sense it by a look the bespectacled boy gave him.

_Well, he should. For him, his friend and moreover, his __**male**__ friend to kiss him like that_.

Still looking out of the window, he spoke up when he felt someone entered his room with a soft creak from the door.

"Yuuta?" He smiled to himself. He couldn't help though, his younger brother never failed to bring a smile on his face.

"I didn't think you would come so early."

"Sorry, but I'm not Yuuta."

Fuji's smile froze in its place as the stony voice registered in his head.

_That voice..._ Fuji breathed in.

It belongs to no one but _him_.

"Tezuka." He managed a smile as the other boy sat himself on the chair. "I never knew you would come."

"My mother told me you're sick."

"Oh," he blinked and gave another infamous smile to the boy beside him. "Yes, I am."

_So, Fuji hasn't kept avoiding him_... Tezuka silently took a glance at the lithe boy who sat comfortably on the bed. It seemed Fuji's face got paler and his body, if it's even possible, was smaller than he last saw him. Tezuka frowned at the sight.

Fuji looked so fragile. He wondered if the other boy had rested properly or even had a good sleep last night, seeing the dark circles under that slit eyes of his friend, he deepened his frown.

"How are you feeling now?"

"Better."

"Have you eaten yet?"

"Yes...nee-san just fed me before you came."

"Medicines?"

Fuji gave a strange look at the captain. Does Tezuka think he's only 5? He chuckled slightly. "You sound like a doctor, Tezuka." He suppressed his giggles when he saw the seriousness on the stoic façade still, he smiled. "Yes, yes. I had a capsule right after my meal."

Tezuka gave him an approved nod. Fuji looked alright now. He smiled a little. "That's good then." His eyes went wider a bit when he caught sight of a pile of worksheet and books piling up like a big mountain made of paper at the end of the smaller boy's bed.

Fuji followed his gaze and a smile came afterward. "Ahh. They're my homework Eiji and Oishi brought me yesterday." He sighed. "It seems my next and next and next weekends'll be ended up in my bedroom though."

"You can finish them earlier if you want to." Tezuka commented.

"I'll try." Fuji raised his brow up.

"If that what made you come here? Checking on me?"

Tezuka looked at him sternly as he sat himself upright. His feet shifted to one another. "It's a yes and a no."

The bespectacled boy breathed in before he opened his mouth.

"Look, Fuji…"

"Forget it."

Tezuka shot his brow up when he heard a sharp voice cut him off. Fuji lowered his head. His hand clenched.

"I'm sorry for what happened last weeks ago." Tezuka barely heard a soft, uncertain voice from the other boy's lips. "It's my fault for making you felt uneasy these past days just because of my recklessness." His voice cracked.

He heard from both Eiji and Oishi, also from Inui and Taka-san who tagged along the former to give him a special set of wasabi sushi. They all said in unison that Tezuka was acting strange and often spacing out lately. He didn't give their 2 kouhais any laps when they had a quarrel nor did he pay any of his attention on the matches. It's like someone had stolen their captain and replaced him with another sculpture that looked perfectly alike to Tezuka.

Inui said their captain had been like that since the party at Taka-san's house ended and it's 78% that if this even continued, the chance they'll lose in the upcoming practice match with Shitenhouji will be increased to 100%.

Fuji won't let it happen, not when he was the cause of this mangled situation.

"You have full rights to be angry or yell at me or even punch me in the face but please..." The smaller boy bit his lips. His eyes were hidden by his bangs. "...don't hate me."

Silence was all he could hear as the other boy was still kept his mouth shut. Fuji ironically laughed at himself. He could bare with the frustrated captain, he could accept all anger from Tezuka flooding toward him, he could even endure the gap between them gotten wider, he 'could' with everything but just one-he couldn't handle it if Tezuka hated him. The thought of the taller boy looked at him with all tantrum he got was scaring him the most.

That's why he was surprised and had a little fate sparkled in his heart when he saw the other boy stood by his bedroom's door.

The wind was blowing soundly outside the shut window bringing petals floating in the air, leaving their branches behind. Fuji diverted his eyes back to the boy beside him when he heard a sharp breath.

"It's not your fault." Tezuka said firmly. "And I'm not angry nor hate you." His gaze lowered to his laps. "I was just...confused."

Fuji was dumfounded. He knitted his brows as his heart started running wild.

_Could it be?_

"Confused?" Fuji asked halfheartedly. "Why? I _kissed_ you. At least you should hit me or make me run thousand laps."

"Maybe you should." Tezuka looked at his friend blankly, frowned.

Fuji chuckled a bit and then his eyes opened. He looked at those ambers behind rimless glasses intensely, searching in every corner that made Tezuka felt unstable.

"Can I ask why," Fuji's soft voice gained a questioning look from Tezuka. "Why are you confused and let me kiss you back then, you can push me away but why didn't you do it?"

Tezuka went silent while Fuji was holding his breath. It seemed the other boy was struggling inside his mind and Fuji had no intention to interrupt it, thus he waited.

The lithe boy felt like years had passed when Tezuka's voice finally rang through his ears.

"I'm not sure." Tezuka went, feeling amused when he saw those expectant looks on the other boy's face.

"But maybe it was you that I didn't do anything back then."

Fuji's heart throbbing hard as he moved his lips, dazzled, he asked,

"...because it's me?"

"Yes." Tezuka assured. His amber eyes were warm and soft. "That's what I can guarantee."

Fuji felt his temperature heated up and his face's reddened. His eyes were fully opened as he saw what expression Tezuka giving him.

And then, Fuji smiled. A genuine one.

"That's enough for me." He chuckled lightly as he slit himself back in the blanket. Eyes never left Tezuka's. Feeling like stones were finally removed out of his shoulders, the lack of sleep last night suddenly hit him, his eyes almost closed.

"It was a good sign." He murmured in his pillow. He let out a satisfied moan when he felt the other boy's hand stroking his hair.

"You should sleep." Tezuka said as he pulled the blanket up to Fuji's chin. "Our team still needs you in the match with shitenhouji."

"Roger." Fuji smiled softly at Tezuka before he feigned a frown. "Tezuka."

"Hmm."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?"

Fuji smiled teasingly. "Can you give me a good night kiss?"

Fuji giggled when he saw the other boy's face went stiff. He closed his eyes, contented with the light touch of Tezuka's hand on his head.

"Good night, Tezuka."

"Ahh."

Outside the room, Yumiko stretched herself up and walked away with camera and stethoscope still hanging around her neck. Humming, she descended the stairs and headed to the kitchen. She let out a giggle when she cut carrots and threw them into a pot. Smile never left her face.

_So Syusuke had his own medicine after all_.

* * *

TBC.

* * *

How was it? What do you think? Tell me XD.


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